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Episode 197·December 18, 2024·post-antiquity

Naming Divine Nothingness: Introducing the Pseudo-Dionysios

The author known in Orthodox circles as St Dionysios the Areopagite and in scholarly circles as the Pseudo-Dionysios is one of the great esoteric writers of the western tradition.

Listen on SHWEP21 sources in collection · 21 translated

Primary Sources

The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 900 · Syriac · 104 pages

The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite serves as the architectural blueprint for the Christian mystical tradition, blending Neoplatonic philosophy with deep Syriac spirituality. Pseudo-Dionysius boldly identifies God through the primary names of 'Goodness' and 'Love,' presenting a Divinity that is bo

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Vat.gr.370

Pseudo-Dionysius · 950 · Greek · 257 pages

This text provides a framework for understanding the universe as a hierarchical chain of participation in the divine. It argues that God is beyond all essence and reason, yet reveals Himself through symbols that accommodate human limitations. Readers will encounter a rigorous defense of the soul's a

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Byzantine Theological Miscellany

· 1350 · Greek · 392 pages

The works of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite represent one of the most daring syntheses in history, fusing Neoplatonic philosophy with Christian revelation to define the 'progenitor of apophatic theology.' This collection navigates the profound distinction between God’s unknowable essence and His pa

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On the Mysteries of the Egyptians

Iamblichus; Proclus; Porphyry; trans. Marsilio Ficino · 1497 · Latin · 381 pages

This work defends traditional religious practice against the skepticism of philosophers like Porphyry. Iamblichus asserts that the gods are not swayed by human emotions, but rather that rituals align the human soul with a pre-existing divine order. He defines the universe as a singular, living organ

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Pseudo-Dionysius: De Coelesti Hierarchia (c.1300 MS)

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 1498 · Latin · 1 pages

Beinecke MS 526 is more than a theological text; it is a physical intersection of medieval philosophy, astronomy, and pan-European craftsmanship. This fragment captures the 'progenitor of apophatic theology,' Pseudo-Dionysius, as he defines the hierarchies of the heavens, a concept that fundamentall

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Celestial Hierarchy / Divine Names (Ficino)

Pseudo-Dionysius (trans. Marsilio Ficino) · 1501 · Latin · 142 pages

This text represents a landmark synthesis of Neoplatonic thought and Christian theology, arguing that God is not a 'being' to be understood, but a 'Good' to be experienced through the Way of Negation. Marsilio Ficino resurrects the cryptic oracles of Pseudo-Dionysius to champion a 'learned ignorance

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The Collected Works of Pseudo-Dionysius

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 1516 · Latin · 412 pages

This corpus challenges the reader to abandon standard definitions of God in favor of a profound, mystical unknowing. It argues that all visible existence is a symbolic reflection of a transcendent, singular source. The author insists that true spiritual authority is rooted in self-mastery and mercy

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On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians

Iamblichus | Proclus | Porphyry · 1516 · Latin · 550 pages

Edited and translated by the Renaissance visionary Marsilio Ficino, 'Mysteries of Egypt' brings together the most influential voices of late antiquity—Iamblichus, Porphyry, and Proclus—alongside the mystical revelations of Hermes Trismegistus. The text argues that divine knowledge is not a product o

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The Divine Pymander, Asclepius, and On the Mysteries

Hermes Trismegistus | Jamblichus | Proclus · 1532 · Latin · 237 pages

This monumental synthesis of Hermetic and Neoplatonic thought offers a radical roadmap for the soul’s ascent from the sensory 'multitude' to the intellectual 'One.' By weaving together the revelations of Hermes Trismegistus with the rigorous defenses of Iamblichus and the metaphysical depth of Procl

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Pymander. Asclepius. On the Mysteries of the Egyptians. On Plato's Alcibiades, on the Soul and the Daemon. On Sacrifice.

Hermes Trismegistus|Jamblichus|Proclus · 1532 · Latin · 336 pages

This seminal volume brings together the core texts of the Hermetic and Neoplatonic traditions, asserting a unified lineage of 'ancient theology' (Prisca Theologia) that flows from Hermes Trismegistus to Plato. Readers will encounter bold claims about the human condition: that we are 'twofold' beings

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On the Mysteries of the Egyptians - Pimander - Asclepius

Iamblichus / Hermes Trismegistus / Porphyry · 1532 · Latin · 556 pages

This volume serves as a primary manual for understanding the mechanics of theurgy and the nature of the soul. It moves beyond simple philosophy to outline how ritual acts as a bridge between the mortal realm and the intelligible world. The authors argue that the soul is not a prisoner of the body bu

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On the Mysteries of the Egyptians

Jamblichus|Proclus|Porphyrius|Psellus|Hermes Trismegistus · 1577 · Latin · 582 pages

‘On the Mysteries’ stands as a monumental defense of sacred action over mere intellectual speculation, primarily centered on Iamblichus’s high-stakes rebuttal to Porphyry’s skepticism. The text presents a staggering ontological map of the universe, populating the cosmos with an intricate hierarchy o

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The Complete Works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 1634 · Latin · 321 pages

This corpus challenges the limits of human cognition by proposing that we reach God not through logic, but through the deliberate stripping away of all concepts. The author constructs a vision of the universe as a series of sacred ranks, where every creature exists to receive and pass on divine illu

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On the Mysteries (De Mysteriis)

Iamblichus (ed. Thomas Gale) · 1678 · Greek-Latin · 386 pages

This text documents the intense clash between two giants of late antique thought: Porphyry the skeptic and Iamblichus the mystic. Iamblichus argues that the human soul possesses innate knowledge of the divine that transcends intellectual reasoning. He posits that religious rituals, or theurgy, serve

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On the Mysteries (Thomas Taylor trans.)

Iamblichus | Taylor, Thomas (trans.) · 1821 · English · 405 pages

In this foundational work of Neoplatonic thought, Iamblichus (writing as the Egyptian priest Abammon) offers a powerful rebuttal to the idea that religion is merely a human invention or a series of emotional delusions. By framing divine knowledge as an innate, eternal part of the soul's essence that

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Iamblichus On the Mysteries

Iamblichus / Thomas Taylor (trans.) · 1821 · English · 402 pages

Iamblichus 'On the Mysteries' is a monumental work of Neoplatonic philosophy that shifts the spiritual search from mere intellectual speculation to the experiential power of theurgy. Writing as the Egyptian priest Abammon, Iamblichus responds to the skepticism of Porphyry, arguing that the divine ca

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Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita Schriften (German 1823)

Pseudo-Dionysius · 1823 · German · 396 pages

This volume is a profound gateway into the heart of speculative mysticism, blending the rigors of Neoplatonic philosophy with the fervor of early Christian theology. Readers will encounter a bold re-envisioning of the cosmos where evil is dismissed as a mere 'sham substance' and God is approached no

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John Colet Two Treatises on the Hierarchies of Dionysius

John Colet · 1869 · English · 340 pages

This text revives the work of an often-overlooked Renaissance humanist who bridged ancient Greek philosophy and Christian theology. Colet contends that human spiritual development follows a path from purgation to illumination and finally to perfection. He claims that current church practices have dr

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Pseudo-Dionysius Celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy

Pseudo-Dionysius / John Parker · 1894 · English · 113 pages

In this profound synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian mysticism, Pseudo-Dionysius—vigorously defended by translator John Parker as the genuine first-century convert of St. Paul—presents a revolutionary vision of the divine order. By exploring the nine choirs of angels and the sacred rituals o

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The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite (Divine Names, Celestial Hierarchy, Mystical Theology)

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 1897 · English · 434 pages

This work defines the mystical path known as apophatic theology. It claims that God is not a thing to be known, but an experience beyond all essence and knowledge. You will learn how the mind must become silent to approach the Divine. The text provides a rigorous framework for why our standard langu

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The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite · 1897 · English · 424 pages

This corpus challenges the limits of human reason in theology. The author presents a rigorous system where knowledge is not gathered by intellect, but by an ecstatic process of unknowing. He reconciles Greek philosophy with Christian faith by defining reality as a hierarchical flow from a superessen

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Naming Divine Nothingness: Introducing the Pseudo-Dionysios - SHWEP Reading Room